Any ideas for summer vacation?  What was your best family summer vacation?
Edited for spelling.

Where is the Gulf Coast of Floride?

I love a motorcycle ride to the North Carolina, Great Smoky Mountains.  


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St. George Island, FL.

I wouldnt come to Florida in the summer, that would be a waste of time because there is nice weather in so many other places worthy of a look.

Florida is a winter vacation.

ETA: I wanna see Alaska.

Quoted: Yellowstone is always a great suggestion.  Many picture perfect places out that way.  And definitely cross Rio de Janeiro off your list for now.

Unless you need some drugs!

Quoted: St. George Island, FL.

St George is wrecked from the hurricanes. The whole town closes at like 4:30 in the afternoon. It's pretty much good as a fishing destination only.

Quoted: I love a motorcycle ride to the North Carolina, Great Smoky Mountains.

I'm hoping to make it again next month. Deals Gap is calling my name too.

Quoted: St. George Island, FL.

Why do you say St George? I'm right down the road a piece, and never have been particularly thrilled with it. Do you know something I don't?

If you go Florida Gulf Coast, go to the Seaside area. All rentals there are quaint little beach houses. The rental office is open until midnight, and I think there's also a website like www.seasidefl.com but I can't recall.

If you rent one of the houses over the net get "love me tender." Otherwise you should go in person so yu can actually see which house is which. If it's just you and the wife and maybe one kid, "close to eden" is also an awesome rental.

Be warned though, it's an expensive ass town.

I love it we rented a house there a few years ago. I guess it depends on what you want to do on vacation? It was very relaxing. We just lounged on the beach, brought our labs, we had a great time. Is the island destroyed?

Quoted: Why do you say St George?

The original poster asked about the gulf coast.

Quoted: Quoted: St. George Island, FL. St George is wrecked from the hurricanes. The whole town closes at like 4:30 in the afternoon. It's pretty much good as a fishing destination only.

Where do you get your information ? The great thing about St. George is that there still isn't a "night life" atmosphere there. Sure it's dead except for Harry A's, you can listen to a live band, shoot pool or play REAL darts. What hurricane wrecked it ? There hasn't been a direct hit since the 80's.  

Any where on the beach would be OK.  I was the original poster.  I did stay on Sanibel Island once.  It was great.  We rented a house for a week.

Quoted: I wouldnt come to Florida in the summer, that would be a waste of time because there is nice weather in so many other places worthy of a look. Florida is a winter vacation. ETA: I wanna see Alaska.

True. With hurricane season just around the corner ,just remember kids, the only annoying thing about your neighbor's generator is if you dont have one.

Quoted: Why do you say St George? I'm right down the road a piece, and never have been particularly thrilled with it. Do you know something I don't?

That is what is so nice about it IMO. It was the forgotten coast until a few years ago. My family has had a house on St. George since 1980, we also have a place at Shell Point and another close to Lanark/Carrabelle. After going to places like Panama City and Daytona for spring break it is pretty nice to have a place where things aren't that lively, I would rather be able to relax than have thousands of  teenagers running around creating havoc.

Quoted: Where do you get your information ? The great thing about St. George is that there still isn't a "night life" atmosphere there. Sure it's dead except for Harry A's, you can listen to a live band, shoot pool or play REAL darts. What hurricane wrecked it ? There hasn't been a direct hit since the 80's.

Are you very far away from St George? I hadn't seen any where that it had been hit bad. I'm hoping to return next Jan-Feb. You're right the nice thing about it, is that it's not the run of the mill commericalized, tourist trap area! We tend to go to places that aren't all built up. We love Ouray and Silverton CO. Same type of thing. We rent a house and go fourwheeling in the mountains. I go on vacation to get away from crowds, Starbucks, Outback, Applebees, etc.

Quoted: Why do you say St George? I'm right down the road a piece, and never have been particularly thrilled with it. Do you know something I don't?

It's funny with the weather we've had today I could say the same thing for people who want to go on vacation and pay to chase tornados! We don't want to see one for anything and some dumbasses can't wait!

First, is this vacation only you, significant other, shooting buddy, any children and their ages, grandparents etc.

Quoted: Quoted: Where do you get your information ? The great thing about St. George is that there still isn't a "night life" atmosphere there. Sure it's dead except for Harry A's, you can listen to a live band, shoot pool or play REAL darts. What hurricane wrecked it ? There hasn't been a direct hit since the 80's.   Are you very far away from St George? I hadn't seen any where that it had been hit bad. I'm hoping to return next Jan-Feb. You're right the nice thing about it, is that it's not the run of the mill commericalized, tourist trap area! We tend to go to places that aren't all built up. We love Ouray and Silverton CO. Same type of thing. We rent a house and go fourwheeling in the mountains. I go on vacation to get away from crowds, Starbucks, Outback, Applebees, etc.

Nothing wrong with St. George, and it's not beaten up. Mrs gorilla and I rode the bike down there for the chili cookoff last weekend.

I haven't been to Harry A's, but I hear it's fun. Flamingos has good food, but nothing extraordinary. We rented a place in the plantation a few years ago, and while it was absolutely terrific as far as the place goes, they're a little too uptight over on the west end. My bro and I were asked to leave and not return unless we left our bikes outside the plantation.

Having lived my entire life down the road, I've never been particularly impressed with the fishing, but I greatly prefer going out a ways to surf fishing.

St George IS a very relaxing place, where you can just get away from everything.

Quoted: Quoted: St. George Island, FL. St George is wrecked from the hurricanes. The whole town closes at like 4:30 in the afternoon. It's pretty much good as a fishing destination only.

Try again, nothing is damaged down there. The road to St George (US98) took a hell of a hit and was washed away for several months, but it's fine now, and you almost couldn't tell anything happened, except that they haven't hauled the trash away from where they rebuilt the road.

Quoted: Quoted: Why do you say St George? I'm right down the road a piece, and never have been particularly thrilled with it. Do you know something I don't? It's funny with the weather we've had today I could say the same thing for people who want to go on vacation and pay to chase tornados! We don't want to see one for anything and some dumbasses can't wait!

Hey now!  Some of us actually chase to learn sumptin!  
I'd stay away from any coastal areas this summer....

Quoted: Having lived my entire life down the road, I've never been particularly impressed with the fishing, but I greatly prefer going out a ways to surf fishing. St George IS a very relaxing place, where you can just get away from everything.

You just need to come out on the flats near St. Marks and Dog Island and catch some trout, reds, and spanish mackerel with us

Honestly I wouldn't recommend coming to Florida in the summer. What's the point?

You're going to be dangerously sunburned, it's hot as an oven and the beaches will be fairly crowded with other tourists.

February is the time to be in Florida, not too hot, beautiful weather most of the time, fairly low humidity.

My heartfelt recommendation....take your family and drive the American West.

The handful of trips I took with my parents over 20 years ago are some of my best memories. Not many people do it (none of my close friends or my wife had ever driven the highways) and you'll see a completely different side of this truly great country. I'd do at least 10 days and preferably 2 weeks if you can swing it.

Sure beats dealing with traffic, sand, salt, suntan oil and peeling your sunburned asses off a lounge chair for a week.

My favorite family vacation when I was growing up was a 10 days tent camping trip to Fisheating Creek in Central FL where we fished for bass, canoe and go hiking every day.  We set our tent only 30 feet from the creek and we fish at first light in the morning and then went out on the canoe after breakfast and have picnic lunch on the shore up the creek.  My brother and sister and I still talk about that trip.  It was every 12 year old boy's dream vacation.





   

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: St. George Island, FL. St George is wrecked from the hurricanes. The whole town closes at like 4:30 in the afternoon. It's pretty much good as a fishing destination only. Where do you get your information ? The great thing about St. George is that there still isn't a "night life" atmosphere there. Sure it's dead except for Harry A's, you can listen to a live band, shoot pool or play REAL darts. What hurricane wrecked it ? There hasn't been a direct hit since the 80's.

I was just there like 8 weeks ago. I guess I just assumed it was from a hurricane because there was still damage and lots of reconstruction happening in Navarre and some other little towns back that way. (I think they said from Ivan?? sorry I'm not current on hurricanes)

I didn't mean the town was tore up, all though it does seem sort of...run downish? I don't even know if run downish is right, just didn't seem like anyone was in an especially good mood, everything was closed at 4pm and there seemed to be a general lack of ANYBODY visiting there. The beaches sucked and were a little rocky, shitty sand and generally ugly. That type of thing. Everyone I ever asked in Florida about St George said "it's a nice place to fish and that's about it." There was tons of huge shells lying about, which made the wife happy.

Everyone I saw on the island was fishing, so I'm going to guess that's true about the fishing. Nothing on the beach or in the town made me wish to stay there, as a matter of fact, I drove back four hours where I came from to avoid doing so.

Mexico Beach down the way isn't bad, but not a lot to do.

Personally when I vacation I like a friendly atmosphere, lots of nice restaurants, good beaches that aren't that busy, maybe some shops and small pubs, all within walking distance and driving distance to a few other "attractions." Didn't see any of that in St George, did see it in Seaside.....YMMV.

Fly into Anchorage, rent a car, and take a few days to drive to Tok, camping and exploring along the way.

Lake Tahoe CA or Yosemite in October,after the crowds go away.

Northern Maine and the Canadian Maritimes.